Getting Started with Performance Testing

Welcome to Performance Testing in Maeris! This guide will help you understand the fundamentals of performance testing and how to get started with testing your APIs under load.

What is Performance Testing?

Performance testing is the process of testing your APIs under various load conditions to ensure they can handle expected traffic, respond within acceptable timeframes, and maintain stability under stress. It helps you identify bottlenecks, validate scalability, and ensure your APIs meet performance requirements.

Why Performance Testing Matters

User Experience: Ensures APIs respond quickly, providing a good user experience
Scalability: Validates that your system can handle increased load
Reliability: Identifies breaking points and failure modes
Cost Optimization: Helps right-size infrastructure and avoid over-provisioning
Risk Mitigation: Prevents performance issues from reaching production

Key Concepts in Performance Testing

Virtual Users (VUs)

Simulated users that make requests to your API. The number of virtual users determines the load on your system.

Load Profile

The pattern of how load is applied over time. Common patterns include ramp-up, constant load, spike, and soak testing.

Response Time

The time it takes for an API to respond to a request. Performance tests measure response times under various load conditions.

Throughput

The number of requests processed per unit of time (typically requests per second). Indicates the capacity of your API.

SLA (Service Level Agreement)

Performance thresholds that define acceptable performance, such as maximum response time or minimum throughput.

Types of Performance Tests

Load Testing

Tests your API under expected load conditions to verify it meets performance requirements.

Stress Testing

Tests your API beyond normal capacity to identify breaking points and failure modes.

Spike Testing

Tests your API's ability to handle sudden increases in load, simulating traffic spikes.

Soak Testing

Tests your API under sustained load over an extended period to identify memory leaks and stability issues.

Getting Started Steps

Create Your First Performance Test: Learn how to set up and configure a performance test
See our Create Your First Performance Test guide for detailed instructions.
Configure Load Profile: Set up how load will be applied to your API
Learn more in our Load Profile Configuration guide.
Set Test Configuration: Configure test duration, regions, and other settings
Follow our guide on Performance Test Configuration.
Run Your Test: Execute the performance test and monitor results
Check out Running Performance Tests to learn more.
Analyze Results: Review test results and performance metrics
Explore Performance Test Results and Analysis for insights.

Best Practices

Start Small: Begin with low load and gradually increase
Test Realistic Scenarios: Use realistic data and request patterns
Monitor Resources: Monitor server resources during tests
Set Baselines: Establish performance baselines for comparison
Test Regularly: Run performance tests as part of your CI/CD pipeline
Document Results: Keep records of test results and findings
Test in Staging: Run performance tests in staging before production

Next Steps

Now that you understand the basics of performance testing in Maeris, continue your journey:

Create Your First Performance Test - Build your first performance test
Load Profile Configuration - Configure load patterns
Performance Test Configuration - Set up test settings
Running Performance Tests - Execute tests